Rob Bessette joins me on this episode of the Colorist Podcast. Rob is a senior colorist at Finish Boston and specializes in coloring commercials. With over 11 years of experience, Rob has had the opportunity to color spots for Toyota, Coca Cola, Sam Adams, Subway, Chili’s, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, and many others.

Rob became a colorist though a more traditional path. He worked his way up from the ground level while working at night, and then mentored with a seasoned colorist. For several years, he had the opportunity to learn telecine and graded a lot of film.

I first met Rob while he was working the Blackmagic Design booth at NAB. He had the experience of hearing people’s opinions from all over the world while demoing the latest software that he had to learn at a breakneck pace.

We talk about:

What drew him to working in commercials

How working with great directors and directors of photography shapes the way he grades

Strategies for working with food that will make you hungry

Opinions on working with the full panels and what he would change about them

Strategies for creating a great demo reel

How he uses social media for marketing and networking

Working the Blackmagic booth at NAB and learning the software in one day

Why the inexpensive price of entry for color grading is good for the industry